Chinese scientists use AI to detect unreported carcinogenic chemical pollution.
Potentially carcinogenic chemicals are prevalent worldwide and going unreported, according to Chinese scientists who identified unknown “forever chemicals” in the environment with the help of machine learning.
The non-biodegradable “forever chemicals” – named for their persistence in the environment – became widely used around the world in all kinds of products – including non-stick pans, food packaging, and waterproof and fireproof clothing.
PFAS, widely used due to resistance to oil, water and heat, has been restricted or banned around the world but use of substitutes is hard to track.
The Chinese team uses a molecular network screening tool, enhanced using machine learning, to find and examine impact of potentially carcinogenic unreported chemicals and examine the impact of these synthetic chemicals in the environment.
Their work reveals a greater presence of these chemicals in the environment than previously known and the findings will be critical for examining the impact of PFAS on the planet., said Wei Si, a professor at Nanjing University and member of the research team.
Read full SCMP article:
‘Forever chemicals’: Chinese scientists use AI to help detect unreported carcinogenic pollution around the world’
Source: South China Morning Post, May 28, 2024. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3264016/forever-chemicals-chinese-scientists-use-ai-help-detect-unreported-carcinogenic-pollution-around